Device for controlling the flow of gases



July 29, 1924. 1,502,654 T. R. BLANCHARD DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GASES Filed Deb. 20, 1923 54 2 ss '%e 4 a2 64 52 2a 30 l 82 9 Q 44 26 83 L246 32 I Flex-1 6s 4a 84- ea 76 s2 s4 '12 so as 7 4e I INVENTOR J 7' R, BLANCHA R0 46 Flax? WW A v-romveral Patented July 29, 1924.

UNEED STATES rarsnr orFi-cs.

THOMAS E. BLANCHARD, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY,MES1\TE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THEIXIRGAS BURNER COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A.

CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW O'F GASES.

Application filed December 20, 1923. Serial No. 681,754.

2" 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrroMAs BLAN- o -ninn, a citizen of the United States. residing at lltlinneapolis, in the county of l-lennepin and State of llilinnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Controlling the Flow of Gases of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices forcontrolling the flow of gases, and while intended particularly for controlling the flow of gas and air to gas burners for stoves and furnaces. it will be obvious that the device may be used in other relations. An

object is to provide a device of this character which may be readily manipulated either automatically or manually to regulate with a high degree of accuracy the quantity of gas which is allowed to flow from the gas supply to the place where the gas is to be utilized. Another object is to provide a device of this character having provision for introducing compressed air into the stream of gas which is being supplied and having means for regulating the quantity of compressed air thus supplied proportionately to the quantity of gas which is being supplied. The full objects and advantages of my nvention will appear in connection withthe detailed description, and the novel feature of my inventive idea will be particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate two slightly different forms in which my invention may be embodied,- Fig. l is a view of the device mostly in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a view mostly in 40 section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the device in longitudinal sec tion. Fig. 4- is a View in section on the line 4- of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a slight modification.

As shown in the drawings, 1 provide a pipe 10 which leads to any suitable burner (which is notshcwn since it constitutes no part of the invention disclosed in this ap plication). Secured to the entrance end of 50 this pipe is a hollow conical member 12 having air admission openings 14: surrounding a central internally threaded ringlike portion 16 into which is adapted to be screwed the externally screw threaded end portion 14 of a tubular member20 which constitutes a valve casing. This tubular member is provided witha chamber 22 and has a second externally screwthreaded end portion 24 which is screwed into a screwthreaded opening formed in a frame member26. A rod 28 extends slidably through the outer end of the frame member 26 and also through the opening in an annular flange 30 formed within the member 20at its rear end. A cap 32 screwed on the screwthreaded end 24 of themember 20 encloses packing material 34: which makes a gastight joint. l vithin the screwthreaded portion 18 is a reduced and tapered bore .36 leading from the chamber 22. Extending into this bore is a long tapered valve 88 which is attached to and preferably formed integrally with theinner end of the rod 28, there being alimiting shoulder at the place where they join each other. A gas supply pipe 42 is screwed into an opening in the portion of the member 20 which surrounds the chamber 22. Thisv pipe extends out horizontally a short distance from its place of attachment and is bent downwardly so as to constitute a support by resting upon the floor. A lever 44; is pivoted at its middle to the lower portion of the frame 26 by a screw bolt 46. An arm 4:8 extends upwardly from the mid dle of the lever 4124s while the rod 28 is attached to thearm 4:8, by a screw bolt extending through a slot 52 in the arm, the upper end of this arm being formed into a pointer 54 adapted to register with any one of a series of marks 56 placed on the upper portion of the frame member 26. Adjustably secured to therod 28 is a rear stop collar 58 and a front stop collar 60. Attached to the respective ends of the lever 44 are cables 62 and 641: which may be connected to a thermostat or which may mere ly extend up through the floor for manual operation to regulate the position'of the plunger valve 28. The tubular member 20 at the rear of its screw threaded end 18 is provided with a nipple 66 to which a pipe 68 is connected. This pipe extends rearwardly and is connected to the upper end of a valve casing 70 to the lower end of which is attached a pipe 72 leading from a source of compressed air. In the form shown in Fig. 3, an air passage 74: leads from the interior of the nipple 66, out through the screwthreaded end 18 of the member so as to deliver air under pressure to the gas in the conical member 12.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, an air passage 74 leads from the interior of the nipple 66 through the wall of the bore 36 so as to deliver air under pressure to the gas in this bore. As shown in Fig. 2, a rod 76 extends out from the rear end of the lever 44 and a rack 78 is pivotally attached to this rod. The teeth of the rack engage the teeth of a pinion 80 secured to a shaft 82 which is screw threaded through the wall 2 of the valve casing 70. Carried by the rack 78 in spaced relation to the teeth thereof is a bar 83 which rests upon the outer portion of the shaft 82 and keeps the rack engaged With the pinion. In the valve casing 70 is a regulating valve 84 in the form of a disk having a stem 86 extending slidably into an axial bore in the shaft 82. An

' annular flange 88 formed inside the valve casing constitutes a seat for the valve 84. The outlet pipe 68 is on the same side of the seat 88 as the valve 84 while the inlet pipe 72 is on the other side so that the pressure of the air in the pipe 7 2 tends to move the valve from its seat, against the tension of a spring 90. As shown in Fig. 2, the pressure of air which enters the valve casing is sufliciently high to open the valve 84 to its full extent. In this position, the end of the lever 44 to which the rack 7 8 is attached, is in its lowest position as will be apparent from Fig. 1 and with the plunger valve 38 fully retracted so that the maximum quantity of gas is supplied through the pipe 42 and the maximum quantity of compressed air is at the same time allowed to pass the regulating valve 84. As the lever 44 is turned to advance the plunger valve and cut down the quantity of gas Supplied to the burner, the rack 7 8 will be raised torotate the shaft 82 and screw it into the valve casing, thereby causing the valve 84 to approach the seat 88 and cut down the quantity of compressed air which is supplied.

Tie operation and advantages of my invention will now be fully understood. Gas from any suitable supply passes through the pipe 42 into the chamber 22 and a regulated amount of gas passes from this chamber to thetapered bore 36, the amount being con trolled by the position of the plunger valve 88. The limits of travelof the plunger valve 38 in a bore 36 are determined by the positions in which the rear stop collar 58 and the front stop collar 60 are set. The

front collarmay be moved back to such an extent that the shoulder 40 will be caused to engage the wall at the rear of the bore 36 when the lever 44 is turned in which case all flow of gas will be shut ofi'. Ordinarily, however, the collar 60 is so set that some flow of gas will be permitted when the plunger valve is moved to its forward limit. If the cables 62 and 64 are connected with a thermostat, the position of the plunger valve will be automatically controlled by the temperature of the room acting upon the thermostat placed therein. If desired, the cables may be pulled by hand. As the plunger valve is moved backwardly, the quantity of gas supplied to the burner is increased The rear stop collar 58 will be placed in such position as to permit the desired maximum iowo-f gas when this collar en ages the rear. portion of the frame 26. Due to the fact that the regulating valve 84 is also controlled by the operation of the lever 44, the supply of gas andrompressed air will be simultaneously and proportionately increased or decreased according to the direction in which the lever 4-4 is moved.

I claim:

1. A device for controlling the flow of gases comprising a tubular member containing a chamber and a tapered bore leading from the front of said chamber, a gas supply pipe leadinginto said chamber, a tapered plungervalve in said here, a frame member to which the rear end of said tubular memher is secured, a rod to which said valve is attached in axial alinement therewith, said rod extending slidably through said frame member and through the rear end of said tubular member, a lever pivoted to said frame member, an arm extending from said lever and operatively connected to said rod, and operating cables attached to said lever,

2. A device for controlling the flow of gases comprising a tubular member containing a chamber and a tapered bore leading from the front of said chamber, a gas supply pipe leading into said chamber, a hollow member surrounding the discharge end of said bore and having an air admission opening, a tapered plunger valve in said bore, a frame member to which the rear end of said tubular member 1s secured, a rod to which sald valve is attached in axial alinement therewith, said rod extending slidably, through said frame member and through the rear end of said tubular mem her, a lever pivoted to said frame member, an arm extending from said lever and operatively connected to said rod, and operating cables attached to said lever.

8. A device for controlling the flow of gas comprising a member having a passageway therein, a pipe for conducting-gas into said member, a valve in said passageway for controlling the flow of gas therethrough, a valve casing, a regulating valve in said casing, a pipe leading from said casing to a point in advance of said first valve, a compressed air supply pipe leading into said casing, and means for causing both of said valves to move simultaneously toward the open or closed position.

4. A device for controlling the flow of gases comprising a valve casing, a valve in said casing, a valve seat with which said valve is adapted to cooperate, a'gas supply pipe connected with said casing at the rear of said seat, a second valve casing, a regulating valve in said second casing, a pipe connecting said second valve casing with said first valve casing ahead of the valve seat therein, a compressed air supply pipe leading into said second valve casing, and means for causing both of said valves to move simultaneously toward open or closed position.

5. A device for controlling the fiow of gases comprising a tubular member, containing a tapered bore, a tapered plunger valve in said bore, means for permitting flow of gas to the rear of said bore, a frame member to which the rear end of said tubular member is secured, a lever centrally pivoted to said frame member, an arm carried by said lever and operatively connected with said plunger valve, a valve casing, a regulating valve in said casing, a pipe leading from said casing to a point in advance of said plunger valve, a compressed air supply pipe leading into said casing, connections between said lever and regulating valve for operating the latter, and cables attached to the ends of said lever for causing both of said valves to move simultaneously toward open or closed position.

6. A device for cont-rolling the flow of gas comprising a tubular member containing a tapered bore, a tapered plunger valve in said bore, means for permitting flow of gas to the rear of said bore, a frame member to which the rear end of said tubular member is secured, a lever centrally pivoted to said frame member, an upwardly extending arm carried by said lever and operatively connected with said plunger valve, a valve casing, a regulating valve in said casing, a pipe leading from said casing to a point in advance of said plunger valve, a compressed air supply pipe leading into said casing, a shaft with which said regulating valve is connected, said shaft being screwthreaded through said valve casing, a pinion secured to said shaft, a rack attached to said lever and meshing with said pinion, and cables attached to the ends of said lever for causing both of said valves to move simultaneously toward open or closed position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

THOMAS R. BLANOHARD. 

